ALVIN
DENTONALVIN
DENTON
Real Name: Alvin Denton
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Former vagrant, lawyer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Alice, Clea, Duff Coogan, Nick Cromer, Sheldon and Renee Goldenberg, Sheriff Tom, Dr. Stephen Strange, Thing, Henry Todd, Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)
Enemies: Enchantress, Executioner (Skurge)
Known Relatives: Celestia Denton (Sister Celestia, wife), Barbara Denton Norris (daughter), Jack Norriss (son-in-law)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: New
York City, New York;
First Appearance: Marvel Two-In-One I#6 (November, 1974)
Powers/Abilities:
Formerly had some degree of legal skill.
History:
(Marvel Two-In-One I#7 (fb) – BTS) – A successful lawyer, Alvin Denton was married to Celestia Denton and the two had a daughter, Barbara. Alvin maintained a home in Manhattan and a summer home in Cobblers’ Roost, Vermont.
(Defenders I#21 (fb) - BTS) - When Barbara was 5, Alvin took her fishing on Hunter's Pier. Years later, he attended Barbara's graduation from Stafford Prep.
(Defenders I#32 (fb) - BTS) - Alvin was very upset when Jack Norris didn't get Barbara home from the fair until four a.m. due to a flat tire.
(Marvel Two-In-One I#7 (fb) - BTS/Defenders I#20 (fb) - BTS) - Celestia was killed in a car accident, driving Alvin to deep mourning and loneliness. Barbara, now an adult, came home to help her father in his grief, but she met and married Jack Norris and the two of them joined a cult of occultists, disappearing and leaving Alvin alone. Alvin returned to New York and found himself unable to work. He slowly depleted his savings account and started spending time on the streets, heavily and consistently under the influence of alcohol.
(Defenders I#21 (fb) - BTS) - Alvin left the keys to his house in Vermont with Sheriff Tom.
(Marvel Two-In-One I#6) – Drunk and wasting time at a subway stop near patrons Nick Cromer, Duff Coogan, Sheldon and Renee Goldenberg, Stephen Strange, and Clea, Denton listened to a girl play the harmonica. A violent encounter caused the girl to get hit by a train, and she exploded in a flash of light that hit all of the patrons. Denton quickly departed, not knowing that the girl claimed to be a manifestation of the force of destiny and that he and the others could now alter reality to help them achieve their self-proclaimed destinies.
(Marvel Two-In-One I#7) – While loafing in Central Park, Denton was grabbed off a park bench by Valkyrie riding a flying horse (secretly the Asgardian Enchantress in disguise), and recognized her voice as Barbara’s when she spoke. The Enchantress and her partner, the Executioner, kept Denton tied up in their hideout, determined to take advantage of his ‘destiny’ power, and having seized the mysterious harmonica. The Enchantress and the Executioner disappeared, leaving Denton with the Fantastic Four’s Thing, who Denton quickly recognized and who’d come to rescue Denton having been sent on his path by Dr. Strange. The Thing freed Denton, who was then startled by Strange’s astral image to guide them. Denton convinced the Thing to take him in the Fantastic Four’s airship to Cobblers’ Roost, where he hoped he would found out about Barbara. During the flight, Denton told the Thing about his background, and when they landed, he saw Barbara, walking with suitcases. Overjoyed, Denton rushed to his daughter and was shocked when she turned into the Valkyrie, but he hugged her anyway. She pushed him aside, and he realized she wasn’t the daughter he remembered. The Enchantress and Executioner attacked again and Denton seized and blew the harmonica before the Enchantress could use it to defeat the heroes. The world quickly transformed into one of chaos and death, a reflection of Alvin’s sinking into drunkenness while his world was destroyed. The heroes soon defeated the villains and set the world to right again, but Denton suffered a fatal heart attack from all the stress.
(Defenders I#21) - Valkyrie carried Alvin's corpse to the local coroner, Henry Todd. Valkyrie mourned with Sheriff Tom and Alice.
Comments: Created by Steve Gerber (writer), George Tuska (penciler), and Mike Esposito (inker).
Thanks to Mark O'English for scanning help!
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Alvin Denton has no known connections to:
--Defenders I#20
(Defenders I#20 (fb) - BTS) - The sheriff of small town Cobblers' Roost, Tom befriended the family of Alvin and Celestia Denton, and their daughter, Barbara, who married local Jack Norris. After Celestia died, Alvin became depressed and left the keys to his summer home with Todd.
(Defenders
I#20) - Barbara Norris (secretly Valkyrie) brought in the corpse of
Alvin Denton to Tom's office, surprising him. He comforted Barbara and
helped her contact Henry Todd, the undertaker. Tom took Barbara to
Alice's diner and then walked her to her home, letting her in. He let
her know how bad Jack
had missed her.
--Defenders
I#20 (Defenders I#20 (fb) – BTS, 20
(Defenders
I#20) - Alice ran a
restaurant in Cobblers' Roost, Vermont. . Sheriff Tom brought Barbara
Norris to the restaurant, and Alice served them coffee.
--Defenders I#20
images:
Marvel Two-In-One I#6, p10, pan6
Defenders I#20, p7, pan7 (Henry Todd)
Defenders I#20, p7, pan6 (Sheriff Tom)
Defenders I#20, p8, pan4 (Alice)
Other Appearances:
Marvel Two-In-One I#6 (November, 1974) - Steve Gerber (writer), George
Tuska (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Two-In-One I#7 (December, 1974) - Steve Gerber
(writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), Roy Thomas
(editor)
Last updated:11/12/06
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Henry
Todd
